Sapha Dolalghat – Clean Dolalghat Campaign for a Social and Organized Disposal in Dolalghat, Nepal

Sapha Dolalghat – Clean Dolalghat Campaign for a social and organized disposal in Dolalghat, Nepal

Initiator:

Isabelle Katharina Blum Environmental Scientist ETH Zurich Hödlerstrasse 3 8415 Gräslikon Switzerland Email: [email protected]

Cooperation partners:

Quasan Shresta Kali Ma Managing Director Kali Ma Foundation Nepal Inc. c/o Susanne Gerber Organization "Divine Love" Berghofstrasse 19 Dolalghat 8625 Gossau Nepal Switzerland [email protected] [email protected]

Gräslikon, 7. Oktober 2013 Index

I Portrait of the campaign responsibles...... 4 I.I Initiator Isabelle Katharina Blum, Switzerland...... 4

I.II Cooperation partner Kali Ma, Dolalghat, Nepal ...... 4

I.III Cooperation partner Quasan Shresta, Dolalghat, Nepal ...... 5

II Campaign description...... 6 II.I Situation analysis ...... 6

II.II Goals ...... 8

II.III Target group...... 8

II.IV Place of activity...... 8

II.V Motivation and risks...... 9

II.VI Schedule...... 9

II.VII Realisation...... 10

II.VII.a Workshop «No littering!»...... 11 II.VII.b Workshop «Waste is precious!»...... 12 II.VII.c Workshop «Waste in the right place!»...... 12 II.VIII Team and Competences...... 13

II.IX Cooperations...... 13

II.X Public relations...... 14

II.XI Funding...... 14

II.XII Costs...... 14

2 list of figures

Figure I.1: Isabelle Blum with Nepalese kids, © Franziska Heinrich 2011...... 4 Figure I.2: Kali Ma delivers new school materials, © Kali Ma Foundation e.V...... 5 Figure I.3: Quasan Shresta with two schoolkids, © Quasan Shresta 2013...... 5 Figure II.1: Waste in the drain aside the main street in Dolalghat, © I. K. Blum 2013...... 6 Figure II.2: A man taking a nap besides the burning waste in Dolalghat, © I. K. Blum 2013...... 7 Figure II.3: Dumping site in Dhulihkel, © I. K. Blum 2013...... 7 Figure II.4: Dolalghat, © Kali Ma Foundation e.V...... 9 Figure II.5: Schedule...... 10

list of tables

Table I: table of costs...... 14

3 I Portrait of the campaign responsibles I.I Initiator Isabelle Katharina Blum, Switzerland My name is Isabelle Katharina Blum. I was born and raised in Switzerland. As an environmental scientist, I am getting involved with the careful handling of nature in my job and private life. I support active environmental protection and work voluntarily for NGO's (Non-Governmental Organizations). I support innovative concepts that help people (to) help themselves.

My first contact with Nepal was in 2011. With a good friend of mine I hiked the Annapurna Circuit Trek in the heart of the Himalayas. This very popular 21-day trek leads around the Annapurnas, through different climate zones and over a high pass named Thorung La.

I really loved being in Nepal. The absolutely amazing landscapes, the simple lifestyle, the heartful and friendly people and the magical Himalayas touched my heart. But witnessing all the litter in the villages and the nature made me very sad. Thanks to my basic skills in Nepali (the official national language), I could talk to the people and ask them about the littering. They indeed complained about it themselves but had no idea how to improve the situation.

Back in cleaned up Switzerland, I had recurring thoughts about the missing organized disposal in Nepal. As an environmental scientist, I know the harmful impact of littering on nature and people and I wanted to share this knowledge with the Figure I.1: Isabelle Blum with Nepalese kids, © Franziska Heinrich 2011 Nepalese. On the search for suitable partners in Nepal I found Kali Ma, who is living and working in Dolalghat. After some extensive conversations on the phone, I visited her in spring 2013 in her Ashram in Dolalghat. There I also met Quasan. We talked about active environmental protection and concepts enabling people to help themselves. After two weeks of talking, thinking and rethinking we agreed on our campaign "Sapha Dolalghat – Clean Dolalghat".

I.II Cooperation partner Kali Ma, Dolalghat, Nepal My name is Kali Ma. I was born in Germany and emigrated 2001 to Nepal. Already as a child I knew that Asia is my home and not Germany and I travelled in my younger days in Nepal. I saw how Nepalese are living in harmony with nature but also how poor and simple their living conditions are. No education for the poorest of the poor and barely any health care and income

4 for people from the lowest castes1. My heart told me: "Here I have a mission. I'll come back and give the people something in return."

Since 2001, I have been living and working in my Ashram in Dolalghat, almost 60 km northeast of the main city Kathmandu. In 2002, I resumed the first four sponsorships and in 2004, I founded the Kali Ma Foundation Nepal Inc.2 The foundation arranges worldwide sponsorships, organizes free of charge medical camps, health care and soup kitchens. In addition, we offer further education for socially weak Figure I.2: Kali Ma delivers new school materials, © Kali Ma Foundation e.V. families, young Nepalese women and single mothers and fathers. Every year, we have volunteers giving lessons in English and offering workshops in yoga, karate and singing.

The central task of the foundation is helping people (to) help themselves. Deeply anchored in our principles is need-oriented acting. On one hand, we develop substantial livelihood, on the other hand we ease existential misery like hunger. Environmental protection is a further task. We want to raise ecological awareness to change the littering and disposal behaviour. For this reason I started the campaign "Sapha Dolalghat – Clean Dolalghat" in cooperation with Isabelle Blum and Quasan Shresta.

I.III Cooperation partner Quasan Shresta, Dolalghat, Nepal My name is Quasan Shresta. I was born and raised in Dolalghat, Nepal. I feel very connected to my country. That's why I founded the Organization "Divine Love" with other Nepalese.

Our topics express our goals of unity and harmony of humans and nature. We support the development of body, soul and mind. We establish education for kids, teens and women and offer further education in health management, sports and environmental issues.

Nepal has changed very much in the last 20 years. The people remove themselves more and more from their traditions and cultural Figure I.3: Quasan Shresta with two schoolkids, © habits that provided them orientation and Quasan Shresta 2013 kept them grounded. Nepalese from the lowest castes, women and other people without any education come to terms with this change

1 Krämer Karl-Heinz und Sherpani Lhakpa, Verhalten in Nepal. Länderverhaltenspapier, Heft 53, Zentralstelle für Auslandskunde der Deutschen Stiftung für internationale Entwicklung (DSE) in Bad Honnef, 1995. Page 40. 2 Internetsite of the Foundation: www.kalis-kinder.de

5 very badly. The former social and ecological awaraness has changed into a consumer mindset. Its disastrous consequences are visible throughout Nepal. Littering, increasing waste heaps and volume of bus, car and motorbike traffic are polluting the environment and harming the people.

So the farmer is surprised about the missing rainfall. He watches his crops getting less or even failing to appear. But he and most Nepalese lack the understanding of ecological balance. They are not aware of their influence on it and their responsibility for it. This is what we want to change. Our motivation is the love for our country and the need to give our people an understanding for ecological balance. We furthermore plan to work with foreign organizations, support them and therefore form a global cooperation. The campaign "Sapha Dolalghat - Clean Dolalghat" in cooperation with Isabelle Blum and Kali Ma shall be a first step in this direction.

II Campaign description II.I Situation analysis In the last four years the waste in Dolalghat has very much increased. The Nepalese lifestyle adapts more and more to the western throw-away society. In the past, people used degradable wrapping, plates and dishes for food but nowadays it is all plastic. In general, there are more and more plastic products in daily life. Furthermore, some Nepalese can afford more and also want to consume more. On the weekend, they visit Dolalghat because of its natural beauty? and litter their waste (plastic, bottles, paper, cartridge) all over the place and especially on the riverside.

In Dolalghat, as usual in Nepal, waste is stored mainly outside the houses. The people throw it also under the bridge crossing the Indravatti river. Consquently, it ends up in the water. This is problematic because people use the river as a source of drinking water, for fishing as well as for washing and personal hygiene. In front of the shops and houses, the litter is wiped with short-stalked brooms (long-stalked Figure II.1: Waste in the drain aside the main street in Dolalghat, © I. K. Blum 2013 brooms are only used by lower castes3). But this kind of disposal is just window dressing because the waste ends up in the described places.

The annual monsoon washes away the littered waste. The people appreciate this as a "natural" disposal. They are not aware, that the waste in the river is eventually ending up in the ocean and contributing to the marine garbage patches. But plastics, batteries, cans and other inorganic waste materials, that are disposed this way, will harm in the long term also soil, water

3 The Nepalese caste system is characterized by clearly benefitting the high castes and strongly discriminating against the lower castes and thereby the numerous ethical groups in Nepal.

6 and air in and around Dolalghat and therefore its inhabitants health. In addition, littering4 endangers livestock eating the waste and attracts animals like mice, rats and straying dogs.

To some extent, the waste is burned in exposed public places (under the bridge, aside the river, in the village). This kind of waste incineration is critica,l especially when it comes to plastics, batteries, electronic devices, paints etc. Besides carbon dioxide and water it also produces carbon monoxide(s) ?, sulfur oxides and

Figure II.2: A man taking a nap besides the burning nitrogen oxides as well as hydrochloric waste in Dolalghat, © I. K. Blum 2013 acid, hydrofluoric acid and heavy metal concentrated dust (according to the waste composition). High toxic substances like polychlorinated dibenzodioxin and dibenzofuran can also occur in minor concentrations. However, the exact amount and diversity of the produced and evaporated contaminants is not known because the heterogenous waste changes the compound of the flue gases very quickly. Most Nepalese do not know that this unprofessional waste incineration is hazardous to health.

The next official dumping site is in Dhulikhel, about 2 hours by bus from Dolalghat. This dumping site is an un-tarred place located on a slope with a fence facing the street. The waste is landfilled directly on the unprotected soil (no protective layer for the polluted leachate), is not covered and is carried down the slope by wind and rain. People from the lowest castes separate the waste on-site in plastic bottles, metals and Figure II.3: Dumping site in Dhulihkel, © I. K. Blum 2013 fabrics. Afterward, they sell the single components or re-use them (plastic bottles are for example filled with self-made hard liquor). The people of Dolalghat don't use this dumping site. On one hand, it is too far away. On the other hand, they do not even think about dumping their waste there.

4 Carelessly discarding waste, without consent, at an inappropriate location is called littering.l

7 II.II Goals The campaign «Sapha Dolalghat – Clean Dolalghat» aims to raise the ecological awareness and consequently improve the littering behaviour harmful to the environment and health in Dolalghat.

We are convinced, that environmental education is the first step to achieve a profound ecological awareness. We are also convinced, that an active debate about their own situation motivates the people, to find suitable solutions.

The expected aims in detail are: • ecological and waste awareness in Dolalghat • organized waste management • recycling and upcycling5 of specific waste materials

II.III Target group The target group includes the villagers of Dolalghat and nearby villages. Quasan Shresta and Kali Ma have a good social network there and enjoy a good reputation. That provides an important basis to attain the people's interest for the campaign.

The campaign concerns all villagers of Dolalghat. However, we are concentrating on the schoolkids, family women and waste collectors in Dolalghat.

Children are the future decision-makers. If they understand, that a careful handling of nature and its ressources is a required condition for human life and how they are responsible for it, they will contribute to a sustainable development.6 Waste collectors belong to the lowest and socially weakest castes in Nepal. If the rest of the community estimates their work of waste collecting and recycling, they will receive social appreciation. In Nepalese households, women are the decision makers7. If they understand, that avoiding waste, organizing disposal and recycling are good for their family and a part of modern lifestyle, they will make an important contribution to a better waste management.

II.IV Place of activity Dolalghat is about 60 km northeast of the capital city Kathmandu. It is on the route of the Arniko Highway that connects Kathmandu with Kodari on the Nepalese-Chinese border. The village is accessible by bus or car. The village is split by two rivers. The Indrawatti river has its source about 40 km from Dolalghat and the Sunkoshi river originates in Tibet. Dolalghat counts about 1000 inhabitants from different castes and religions living peacefully together.

5 Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value. 6 Umweltbildungskompetenzen für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung. Stiftung Umweltbildung Schweiz, Bern, 2011. Page 5. 7 Krämer Karl-Heinz und Sherpani Lhakpa, Verhalten in Nepal. Länderverhaltenspapier, Heft 53, Zentralstelle für Auslandskunde der Deutschen Stiftung für internationale Entwicklung (DSE) in Bad Honnef, 1995. Page 40.

8 For a long time, Dolalghat served transmigratory pilgrims and monks as a stop-over on their way to the holy places in the mountains. The village is still a favored place to take a break and have a picnic. Not least because of "Asla", a fish caught in Dolalghat. For tourists, it is a popular river rafting starting point and Nepalese coming from Kathmandu like the river region as recreational spot on the weekend.

Figure II.4: Dolalghat, © Kali Ma Foundation e.V.

II.V Motivation and risks Our driving motivation is the love for Nepal, the people of Dolalghat and the nature. We want to stimulate ecological awareness, active environmental protection, help people (to) help themselves and support the people from the lowest castes in their work for the society.

Nepal has an eventful political and sociocultural history. This very day, the country is in a process of change. For years, the Nepalese have been trying to establish a new constitution and more than 100 political parties call a bandh, a general boycott, at every paltry opportunity. Shops that open despite this call are attacked, buses, taxis and sometimes even private cars that ignore the call are stoned and stopped from driving on. Corruption is also widely spread. It is therefore very important, that the political influence is minimized and that the people of Dolalghat act autonomously. Further difficulties can be caused by the caste system. The influence of the hinduistic social order is still very lively in many people's attitude.

II.VI Schedule The campaign was started in February 2013 during a two week stay in Dolalghat. On the basis of the decisions made, we planned and described the campaign. The team formation and the fundraising are still in process. Kick-off of the campaign? is in March/April 2014. The whole realisation phase lasts three weeks (thereof two weeks of workshops). Afterwards, the first phase of the campaign is finished.

In a following phase, the people of Dolalghat shall find supplementary ways to currently improve the waste management. It is important, to find suitable and motivated persons who are willing to take on responsibility for the waste management and its implementation.

The campaign management ensures the contact to the Nepalese partners and serves as important contact point for open questions, discussions and solutions as well as possible follow-up projects –as for example a technically simple waste combustion dump.

It is planned to visit Dolalghat after a year to monitor the results and offer help if needed.

9 P: start S: campaign milestones 1-2 E: campaign preparing phase kick-off end P S 1 2 E Projektdefinition definitionProjektplanung team formation realisation realisation evaluation planning communication and controlling description funding Workshops Workshops open air cinema theatre

campaign development realisation controlling

- meet partners - prepare the rooms for workshops - evaluate - plan and describe the campaign in - welcome + brief team members processes detail - hold opening cerenomy and open air - finish first - confer with partners cinema phase - formate team - undertake workshops - initiate further - inform team - organize team meetings steps - manage funding - hold waste festival

milestones

1 show the play 2 waste festival: present the results of the campaign

Figure II.5: Schedule of the campaign

II.VII Realisation Methodology We are convinced, that environmental education is central for a change in behavior. Environmental education enables to develop skills, competences, valuable priorities and knowledge. It enhances competences to understand the limitation of natural ressources and it qualifies to act in a foresightful and responsible way, showing solidarity to the community.8

It is important for us, that development comes from inside the community. Development in this context means to qualify the villagers of Dolalghat for taking responsibility and matters in their own hands. The people shall be aware of the need for an organized disposal, implement it and therefore protect the natural ressources. From the beginning on, we integrate the people in the campaign. They can use their different abilities and put them into action. So, they gain self- confidence in their skills and the knowledge to act independently.9

The campaign team acts as a bridge-builder between the abilities and needs of the Nepalese community and the western know-how of practicing environmental protection.

Opening cerenomy, workshops, waste festival

We start the campaign with an opening ceremony greeting the villagers of Dolalghat, presenting the team members and the campaign. Subsequently, we show films about the

8 Umweltbildungskompetenzen für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung. Stiftung Umweltbildung Schweiz, Bern, 2011.Seite 3. 9 Development from the Inside of Communities. The Psycho-Socio-Cultural Methodology (PSCM). Simone Pulfer. 2012

10 global waste problem in an open air cinema. We plan to add a voice-over in Nepali so that people who are not skilled in Englishunderstand the message as well.

For a deeper debate on the topic, we organize three workshops. That way, small groups can deal with a subject more intensely. The focus in the workshops is on the cooperative work on the improvement of the disposal problem in Dolalghat. The subjects of the three workshops are: «No littering!», «Waste is precious!» and «Waste in the right place!». The campaign will end with a waste festival. We thank the villagers and the participants and show the results of the workshops in a public place.

II.VII.a Workshop «No littering!» Themes: environmental pollution and protection, littering Coordination: team expert in the field of environmental education, assisted by a Nepalese volunteer, in cooperation with a local dress maker Participants: school kids of Dolalghat and the surrounding villages Materials: films about littering and environmental protection, laptop, beamer, paper, cardboard, pens, waste materials for the costumes Goals of learning: The kids develop environmental awareness and know how to protect the environment. Goals of implementation: The kids develop a play about littering and environmental protection, design costumes and perform the play.

Procedure The schoolkids are called to school. As an introduction, films about environmental protection and littering are shown. Thereupon, the kids are asked to tell their impressions, ideas and opinions of the films. For a deeper debate of the theme, the kids and the coordinators visit the river and the village. There they talk about littering and the environment. The kids deal with the following questions: Do you like that waste is all over the place? Is this good for you and the animals? What can you do about it? The statements of the visit and the films are written and drawn on paper. Afterwards, the kids create a play about "We want no waste in Dolalghat". To integrate the topic of waste even more, the costumes are made of waste materials. In a first step, the play is shown in the village, in a second step, it is shown as a traveling theatre in the surrounding villages. In addition, the kids who are skilled in drawing, can create posters and/or comics that are shown in a public place.

11 II.VII.b Workshop «Waste is precious!» Themes: upcycling, ressource management Coordination: team expert in the field of design/handcraft/building, assisted by a Nepalese volunteer Participants: craftspeople like carpenters, dress makers, potters Materials: films about upcycling, laptop, beamer, paper, waste materials like plastic bottles etc., examples/pictures/drawings of upcycled products Goals of learning: The participants understand that waste is a ressource and therefore precious. Goals of implementation: The participants develop and produce suitable products easily made from specific waste (plastic bottles, cans, paper, cardboard, fabrics). The products shall be of use for the community of Dolalghat.

Procedure The suitable participants are visited at home or at their working places and invited for the workshop. As introduction films about upcycling are showed. Thus the participants get an idea of what is possible and is already practiced.

The participants deal with the following questions: What are ressources? Why is waste precious? How can waste be used as a ressource in our community? Models/pictures/drawings of upcycled products are showed to the participants. Based on them they think of suitable products for their community (e.g. rainbarrels made of plastic bottles, blankets made of remnants, etc.). Together a small range of products is chosen and implemented by the correspondent craftspeople.

II.VII.c Workshop «Waste in the right place!» Themes: waste management, prevention and collection, composting and recycling Coordination: two experts in the field of waste management, assisted by a Nepalese volunteer Participants: family women, waste collectors, shop- and restaurantkeepers Materials: films about waste management, composting and recycling, laptop, beamer, paper, bins for composting, buckets, grip tongs, models and/or pictures of mechanical simple recycling facilities and waste incineration plants Goals of learning: The participants understand why composting, organized waste management and recycling is ecologically worthwhile and has to be practiced. Goals of implementation: The participants develop suitable concepts and ways to compost their kitchen waste like onion skins, collect waste, organize the disposal and recycling.

12 Procedure Suitable participants are visited at home or at their working places and invited for the workshop. As an introduction, films about composting, waste management and recycling are shown. Thus, the participants get an idea of what is possible and already practiced in other countries.

The participants deal with the following questions: Why do we need an organized disposal? How do we avoid waste? Why should we compost our kitchen slops How can we efficiently collect waste? What can we recycle easily?

The family women and the shop- and restaurantkeepers are taught in groups. They learn how to collect and avoid waste at home and at their working places. They are taught in composting. We plan to set up two community compost sites.

The garbage collectors develop an efficient waste collection with matching instruments (grip tongs, baskets) and a suitable recycling (for example recycling plastic bottles with hand presses).

II.VIII Team and Competences Campaign manager: Isabelle Katharina Blum Isabelle Blum is graduated environmental scientist (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich) with know-how in environmental education and waste management. She speaks a little bit Nepali and knows the living conditions in Nepal from personal experience.

Cooperation partner: Kali Ma and Quasan Shresta

Kali Ma has been living and working in Nepal for over ten years. She speaks Nepali, is anchored in the community of Dolalghat and knows the difficult sociocultural circumstances in Nepal. She can estimate the possible stumbling blocks but also the underused potential. Quasan Shresta has been born and raised in Dolalghat. Besides his mother tongue Nepali, he speaks English and German and has travelled outside Nepal.

Team members: 3 experts and Nepalese volunteers The experts are working in the field of waste management, environmental education and design/handcraft/construction.They are motivated to pass on their specific knowledge and t to perform active and need-oriented environmental protection. The Nepalese volunteers act primarily as translators.

II.IX Cooperations The cooperations are mainly carried out with the Nepalese partners Quasan Shresta and Kali Ma, both living and working in Dolalghat, Nepal. Further possible cooperation partners are the Social Club of Dolalghat, the Golden Future School, about 11 km from Dolalghat and the Tilgana Eye Centre in Kathmandu, Nepal. Suitable partners in Switzerland are companies in the field of waste management, recycling and upcycling.

13 II.X Public relations The public relations take mainly place on the World Wide Web on Facebook.com and Indiegogo.com. Additionally, the campaign members promote the campaign in their personal networks.

II.XI Funding The campaign is supported by the Kali Ma Foundation Nepal Inc., who is taking on the board and lodging of the campaign experts and the managing director for two weeks.

For further funding, we ask other foundations in Switzerland, private contributors and companies and use the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo.com.

II.XII Costs

Table I: table of costs position estimation of costs costs (in CHF) campaign work concept, description, team formation, 200 hours à CHF 40.- 8'000.00 fundraising, reporting experts + I. Blum flights and return journey of the campaign 8'000.00 experts and initiator opening ceremony, workshops, waste festival laptops, beamer, generator, films, film voice- 4'000.00 over, materials, 1 daily meal for Nepalese volunteers

TOTAL 20'000.00

The campaign costs include the campaign work, travel expenses of the team experts and managing director and materials for the workshops.

The campaign work costs include describing, team forming, communicating, fundraising and reporting executed by Isabelle Blum, supported by voluntary experts in the field of communication.

The travel expenses include the flights of the campaign experts and managing director, the return journey Kathmandu – Dolalghat and the board of the Nepalese contributors. The Kali Ma Foundation Nepal Inc. takes on the board and lodging of the campaign experts and managing

14 director for two weeks.

The workshop and open-air-cinema costs include the translation in Nepali by an office in Kathmandu, a beamer and a generator for the films (the beamer is used in school after the campaign), laptops, paper, buckets and building materials.